Iowa City schools locked down due to threatening phone calls

Update:At 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday, the Iowa City Police Department released a statement saying that the ICPD and the Coralville Police Department had determined neither threatening phone call was credible, and both calls originated from outside the United States.

Iowa City schools were put on a “soft” lockdown on Tuesday afternoon, following threatening phone calls to Coralville Central Elementary and Tate High School.

“We were informed by law enforcement that these calls have been occurring at school districts across the nation today,” Iowa City Community School District Superintendent Stephen Murley explained in an email to parents. “The phone number where the calls originated has been traced to threats all over the country.”

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Murley emphasized that the district takes any threat seriously, and that is why there was a soft lockdown at all the schools in the district.

“Coralville police are currently on site at Coralville Central Elementary and Iowa City police are on site at Tate High School,” Murley said.

During a soft lockdown, students are kept in their classrooms and out of hallways or other open areas. According to the email, it will continue through the end of the school day.

“As always, parents can pick their children up at any time,” Murley said in his email.

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